Date: Wednesday, February 23

The St Patrick’s Festival Trust has made the difficult decision to cancel its festival, planned for Sunday, March 13 in Auckland. 

Due to restrictions on large gatherings in the red light setting and the increasing prevalence of Omicron in the community the festival will not be going ahead this year.

Festival Chairman Russell O’Brien said it was disappointing that the festival would not go ahead but the safety of the community was paramount. “It’s been a tough few years for live events and we know the Irish community in New Zealand will understand the difficulty of holding a festival in the current climate. We look forward to coming back bigger and better than ever in 2023!”

The St Patrick’s Festival Trust would like to thank its partners, Hugh Green Group, Barfoot & Thompson, Ireland Abroad, Foundation North, Lion Foundation and The Community Trusts Foundation for their support.

The Trust would also like to recognise the mahi of event partner Crackerjack Events and the hundreds of volunteers and performers who have been part of the festival since its inception.